Checkmate
by Randombore
Summary: Racing against time is a fool's game. Amu and her friends discover that they are not exceptions to fate. They grow up just like any other, while changing in body, mind and spirit. They discover that with changes come new dreams and cold insecurities. Little did they know, it was never time that they had to outrun. It was their own nightmares.


**_Author's Note_**_: Hello there, loves! I have carefully edited Checkmate, so I hope you'll enjoy the changes to the following chapters. This story will begin at the end of the anime Shugo Chara Doki and combine the plots of Shugo Chara Party and the Shugo Chara manga, but it will continue much further into the lives of our favorite characters. Yep, high school and college are included. Romantic **and** platonic relationships will come naturally, so every variation you could think of will come into picture. Everything will be as in character as possible, so nothing will be written in bias. Please keep an open mind and just enjoy the show! In-depth notes will be included at the bottom, signified by a bolded number._

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**Checkmate**

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Chapter 1: Fool's Game

* * *

_Racing against time, figuratively speaking, is a fool's game_. Time ticks forward, even when the second-hand of a clock stops. Every moment, every blink of an eye, falls through one's fingers like sand through a sift. Life, itself, is but a fleeting dream. But _time_- time is limitless, eternal even, and it is impossible to grasp as a concept.

Despite all this, _he, _of considerable sense and rationale, insisted on pursuing the truth behind it. He _needed_ to know how to outrun time.

Yet, however much he was set on doing so, Tadase was signing up for a game he could not fully comprehend.

Steady sheets of rain showered over the local train station. It left a hint of crisp spring in the air, though the typical gentle colors of the incoming season were no where to be seen. The bursting cherry blossoms were drenched in thick droplets, tussled by an occasional gust. He stood alone against the bustling streams of monochromic-clad men and women, all seeking a cramped spot on the transit to the next city.

Tadase stuck out like a sore thumb, standing there with an unspoken purpose written upon his soft features. He tucked himself under a rusted wall-lamp near the entrance of the station as it bathed him in an unsteady flicker of saffron.

He made it clear that he wasn't here for a ride. He wasn't leaving; his place was here, with the friends that stole his heart and a grandmother that guided his way home.

Yes, that was right. He wasn't leaving. But what exactly was this familiar sense of defeat that washed over him?

It was the same lonesome feeling that anyone would get if they were used to watching someone's backside recede into a faceless crowd.

And his heart ached for the couple that would leave him once more.

As a detached voice drawled over the intercom, Tadase's garnet eyes flickered over to the automatic glass doors that were sliding closed. Moreover, he was taking one last glance at the middle-aged couple _behind _those doors.

It was cold on this side of the station- bitter and inevitably lonely as well. But his lips curled into a gentle smile and he found himself waving farewell as though nothing was wrong, as though he was perfectly happy. And he sure hoped _they_ believed it. His eyes betrayed nothing, as the couple returned his gesture with stiff ones of their own.

The train rolled out of the station, as the couple's tired faces slipped out of sight, though not out of mind. Closing his eyes for a moment, Tadase etched their solemn smiles into his head once again. He was used to this by now- or at least, he should have been. The fading noise of those cranking train wheels, the rustle of stray newspapers and the sound of silence- it was something he had become accustomed to over the years.

_They _were present when he was younger. That's what counted, correct?

_They _had their reasons. _They_ needed to maintain stable associations within the family's company. _They_ were constantly on the go. _They_ had a duty to fulfill… _outside of home_. **_(1) _**It was just something he was forced to accept a long time ago, despite the acrid taste it left in his mouth.

And so, he was alone, accompanied only by the dull thud of rain against the station's roof and a string of strained smiles.

"Tadase. _Tadase!" _ A gruff voice resonated above him, giving him a swift reminder that he was never _really _alone. "There is nothing else for us to see, so let's head out."

Kiseki floated down to look his kid in the eye before snapping his gaze away. Crossing his arms against his chest, he huffed. "Hmph. Don't forget! A king holds himself straight. _Through rain and wind_!"

Tadase dropped another smile just for him, though it felt warmer in every way.  
"Yes… I suppose you're right, Kiseki," His weary gaze dropped away from the tunnel that swallowed _them_ up for another month or so.

_It was nothing. _

Tadase pivoted on his heels, turning towards the dimly lit entrance. His footsteps clacked out of rhythm. In fact, he felt as if he had been hanging by mannequin strings, taut and strained from a force other than his own.

_This was no good_; he was too hyper-aware of his own movements to pull himself together.

Pulling his black umbrella overhead, Tadase hurried out into the rain. Evening had settled on the horizon. He strolled sluggishly, past obstructive puddles and battering waves of rain drops. No matter how much his thoughts ebbed and waned, there was one thing that bubbled to the surface.

The faces of his friends played back in his head, their smiles so close, yet so far away.

It wasn't like him to let something like _this_ get to him. It was for _them. _He _had_ to keep going, he _had_ to hold his head up, he just needed to convince himself that...

'_I'll be… okay.'_

The rain stopped for no one. Tadase took to following the streetlights, taking in too much at once while not taking in anything at all. The world seemed to solely consist of blurs, abstract like strokes of watercolor on a blank canvas.

He continued to wander, although his shadow made more of a presence than he did.

As his shadow crossed each light that struck the ground in ripples, Tadase found his way past Seiyo's gated entrance. He swept across the grounds, paying no mind to the school that made its presence known for miles.

Now, there were days when Tadase couldn't have enough of the rain: when it rapped against his window in heavy sheets, let him collect his thoughts or even when it cleared away. Something about it usually seemed… just right.

But today, as he found himself winding up the road towards the observatory, he could have thought twice about that preference.

Light cascaded from the observatory doors, abruptly stopping his thoughts in their tracks. A single voice pierced through the rain.

"Tadase? I've been expecting you."

* * *

Fingers twined around the silver cross that hung by his collarbone. Lying back against his own bed, of which seemed just about the same as he last left it, Ikuto's gaze focused on nothing in particular. Same old room, same old bed, same old dusty, neglected desk- everything seemed unaffected, indifferent even. Nothing about the world had changed.

Nothing aside from himself, that is.

How could he put it? He couldn't particularly describe how it felt in words.

_'…Like a dream?'_

Bah, what was he, _twelve?_ Ikuto rolled to his side, lifting his attention to the soothing rhythm that tapped against his window. The rain had lightened up, but it still seemed like hell for anyone who was unfortunate enough to get stuck outside. Perhaps that was the cat-like instinct speaking, though.

"Ikuto, nyaa," Yoru floated overhead, coming to a rest on his shoulder. He stretched out each stiff limb, loosening the knots in his tiny shoulders.

"I'm glad you're back! I-I really am..." His voice strained by the stress of weeks past. Yoru had been doing whatever he could to express his relief- that, of course, meant breaking down in tears every so often. They had reunited for only a day, after all.

No matter how many times Yoru chose to tell him, Ikuto's chest ached in a joy he couldn't particularly express. Alongside the joy came a pang of guilt for leaving his Shugo Chara alone for so long.

Wordlessly, he pat Yoru's head in subtle affection. It wasn't like him to say much about the matter. Just this was enough.

"You'll have to get used to me being around again, Yoru," Ikuto smirked half-heartedly. He wasn't all that great at lightening the atmosphere, but thankfully, silent understanding was what bridged their relationship.

And time continued to slip away, just like that. Yoru was fast asleep in his egg; his candle was probably burned on both ends. Once again, he was left to wallow in his own thoughts.

He couldn't exactly register how much time he spent staring up at the ceiling, mulling things over repeatedly. The way Ikuto's body ached, he wasn't in the mood to do much of anything _besides _thinking. Having his body controlled by the elder Hoshina and Easter took a toll on his health, of which only recently had a day or so to recover.

How difficult was it to accept that his life was back to normal?

_'I take that back.' _

His life never really _was _normal to start with.

He was correct from the very beginning; this '_normality' _was more like a dream than reality. As much as Ikuto hated to admit it, he didn't know what to do now that he had the freedom to do as he wished. Or rather, _he wasn't ready_ for the future quite yet.

There were things he had yet to let go of. The vibrant pain, the pangs of betrayal, and the steely grasp of desire for a dream he could never have- those emotions he had locked away for years were something he could not easily cut away from. _He wasn't ready_.

To forgive was a task not yet fit for Ikuto Tsukiyomi. Not yet.

A hesitant knock at his door snapped him back into reality. Without an answer of permission from Ikuto, the shadow from underneath the door stood pensive, as if waiting for a command. Ikuto watched it numbly, before turning his body away and shutting his eyes.

_'Not yet.' _

His ears piqued, catching the irritating squeak of his door gradually swung open.

_He wasn't ready. _

"Ikuto…?" The voice, smooth as velvet, called out his name tentatively, as if it wasn't aware of whether it would get a reply. _He wasn't ready. _

The shadow of a broken, middle-aged woman edged closer before resting steadily on his figure, which was turned away from her.

"Ikuto, I think… I think we need to talk."

_Not yet. _

* * *

She should have thought twice about leaving the house for her late night "escapade"-_as her father would call it_- without so much as a word to the _rest _of her family. May they have mercy on her soul, or in this case, her sanity.

"ONII-CHAN!" The familiar, high-pitched squeal of her _beloved _little sibling was both a godsend and a damnation rolled in sugar-sweet coating. Sure, it meant that she was home. But it also meant-

"Where _did _you go yesterday night, Onii-chan!? Were you with my pwince?"

_-Questions. _

Cue the paternal cavelier act.

"PRINCE!? My two angels don't need a prince when I'm around." A flourish trill from her father rung out in anguish.

"Guys…" Her gaze was pitiful really, pleading almost, in hopes that they would end the inquiries there. But alas, she shouldn't have expected anything less.

"But Amu-chan…" _Here it comes. _

"Papa left you alone all day to catch up with homework. Isn't it about time you told us what you were working on with Nikaidou-sensei?"

It wasn't that she didn't _want _to tell her family, whose eyes were glistening like half-starved wolves around a piece of prey. _Okay, _maybe she didn't. But what truly held her tongue was how unbelievable the actual truth was.

Even _she _wouldn't have believed it if she wasn't part of it first hand.

For a moment, she wondered if her Shugo Charas could have helped her wriggle out of this mess alive. They were safely tucked upstairs, sharply aware of her impending doom and yet blissfully ignorant right when she needed company.

_The little rascals. __  
_

Actually, it was probably better off if they stayed put. Ami could see them after all.

She could be condemning them to a tea-party boot camp, bells and whistles attached. _Literally. _

Shaking her head, as though those thoughts could come tumbling out of one ear, Amu decidedly reminisced about her mother's pivotal talk about trust instead. Her mother had trusted her to fulfill her duties and come home safely, so long as she trusted them to understand her situation.

It was far easier said than done, of course.

Nonetheless, Amu wasn't one to back off on her word, especially to those she loved the most.

Her mother peeked in from the kitchen to check in on her bickering family. Wiping a porcelain plate clean, Midori blinked in mild understanding.

"Amu-chan," she murmured steadily, "Don't worry. The truth will be enough for us."

Amu scratched the back of her head. Was the truth really worth it?

The trust glimmering on the surface of their eyes told her it was for the best. She really didn't want to be responsible if her father and sister burst into a festering pile of nervous confetti over this.

Giving in, she let out an apprehensive laugh.

"Would you believe me if I told you that Nikaidou-sensei drove us to the new Dream Egg Amusement Park to save an old friend?"

Gauging from their gaping mouths, of which she would have rated each with a decent 8.5 on the metaphorical exasperation scale, she probably just earned herself two long weeks of punishment.

* * *

"Oh my…" Tsukasa's flittering voice drawled behind an eloquent smile.

"I suppose this is a checkmate, Tadase." He, who in many cases was considered a reflection of what Tadase's future would be, glowed in gentle aloofness.

"Ah... well it was a good game, Tsukasa. Though I definitely _will_ beat you next time!" The young challenger in question wore a mask that was impossible to read. Any hint of desperate curiosity or mild frustration was lost beneath the calm glimmer of his garnet irises. Tadase's gaze absentmindedly followed the tip of his own finger, of which was twirling his king's piece restlessly on its round edge.

It was a much needed distraction from the flittering thoughts that plagued his mind.

Again with that soft grin that knew too much. Tsukasa was one person who had invoked Tadase's desire to read people better. But of course, Tadase still had a lot to learn if he ever wanted to understand what Tsukasa shrouded beneath that unassuming smile of his.

"Tsk, tsk. Little did I know, you've been growing up to be quite the straightforward young man, Tadase. Does winning mean so much to you?"

Kiseki chimed in on impulse, huffing with an air of confidence that was borderline eccentric. "Of course-!"

"-Not, Tsukasa." Tadase cut him off, swiftly and peacefully. He had gotten far too experienced at taking Kiseki down a notch. "There's no need to stuff words in my mouth, Kiseki..."

"But-"

Winning? Was that even something of concern? Well, his dreams _had_ always gone along the lines of '_world domination_' or '_being the king of my own little world_'. In a way, he supposed that he really did want to win… but to say that _that _was _all_ he wished for… That couldn't have been it, right? Flipping his gaze from Kiseki to Tsukasa, he responded accordingly.

"Or- Actually, I don't think it'd be bad to be victorious."

"Hmph, so you've decided to reinforce your king's motives after all, _haha_-!"

"However, I doubt that winning is the _only _point," Tadase cut off his guardian character once more.

Normally, he'd give an easy laugh to brush off Kiseki's outbursts, sweeping the peculiar mix of secondhand embarrassment and resignation under the rug. But for this moment in time, Tadase could not simply laugh it off.

Simply winning a game was never the point, right? There was always something else to it.

"You know exactly what my feelings around this matter are," Tadase's voice did not waver, despite the partial doubt that played back in his mind.

"Do I?" Tsukasa inquired casually. "Tadase, _you_ should know better than_ I_ about the matters of your heart. Or are you saying you don't exactly know what you're playing for?" He was having a jolly good time twisting Tadase's words around, wasn't he?

It was not the first time Tsukasa's quick wit slipped the ground away from beneath Tadase's feet nor would it be the last.

"I-" A pause. Self-doubt was an unwelcome friend that leered its familiar face through the window. _So much for a comeback._

Tadase had had enough of these playful quips back and forth. "The Embryo, Tsukasa! There's something about it that is off."

Legend had it that an egg of tremendous power would be able to grant one's greatest wish. But generations had passed without any successful encounters, leaving behind only tales of unfruitful searches. **_(2)_** Even Tadase and his friends had failed to capture the Embryo, but there was a shared understanding that life would go on, even if they never did. Time had a knack of moving forward, after all.

Something still struck Tadase's mind as odd though- this entire business about Shugo Charas, Dream Eggs and the Embryo itself was still an enigma, _really_- and he was determined to make sense of it all.

"I'm only playing this game because you won't say a word about it unless I beat you." What Tadase wanted was the truth and nothing but the truth. It was unfortunate that the truth had to come with a price.

"So you're playing this game with the understanding that I might not have what you're looking for?" That was a pressing question. What if Tsukasa was playing him for a fool? He wasn't one to manipulate out of malicious intent, but perhaps Tsukasa really _didn't_ know any more than the rest of them did.

He may not have had any information that Tadase didn't already know. But despite all that…

His garnet gaze shone in defiant persistence.

"I'm willing to find out."

_A fool's game it may be. But it was a game he was willing to play._

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**_Afternotes: _**

**_(1)_** Tadase's parents were completely absent in the anime and manga, with the exception of flashbacks. His grandmother was his main caretaker until her bedridden injury.

**_(2)_** Episode 36-37's Shuraiya arc, with the foreign prince looking for a queen, mentions that Shuraiya's father had once gone to Seiyo also seeking the Embryo. Its story has reached far and wide.

**Reviews would be appreciated!**


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